The way of consolation to the poet’s wife shows their deep love for each other in "A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning"
“A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning” is one of John Donne’s most
famous and simplest poems and also his most direct statement of his ideal of
spiritual love to his wife. He was supposed to go to France for a business purpose with
his friend in 1611. That time his wife started to mourn. To give consolation to
his wife the speaker wrote this poem. To console his wife the poet uses some
similes, metaphysical conceits etc. Now I am trying to discuss according to the
statement.
The poem starts with the use of simile. The poet compares their love
as virtuous man. Virtuous men are not afraid of death. In the same way true
lovers are not afraid of separation. Their loyalty and devotion can be enhanced
and tested with separation. The poet proposes his wife to let him go without
making any noise. There must be no floods of tears or tempest of sighing.
Because it can make their love unholy. It would be a disgrace to their holy
love if they portray it like the common people.
In the 3rd stanza, the poet says that earthquakes
frighten people who wonder at the cause and the meaning of them. People try to
find out the cause of earthquakes and to calculate the damage they did.
However, the movements of the sun and other heavenly bodies cause no fear, for
such movements are natural and harmless. They bring about the changes of the
season. Like heavenly bodies their movement is also natural and it will
increase their love profoundly.
The love of the worldly people is based on physical attraction.
Ordinary lovers can not admit to break them for a long time. They want to enjoy
through sensuous and physical love. Physical relationship is unable to accept
separation because the elements of their love are physical like beautiful
cheeks and lips. On the other hand their love being holy and pure can stand
physical separation.
In the 6th stanza, the poet consoles her wife by saying
that though their bodies become separated and must live a part for a time in
different parts of the world, their souls remain united. The spiritual bond
that unites them actually expands, it is like gold when beaten widens and
lengthen.
The poet compares their souls by employing a metaphysical conceit of
twin compasses. The poet says-
If they be two, they are two so
As stiffe twin compasses are two,
Thy soule the fixt foot, makes no show
To move, but doth, if the’ other doe
Their souls may
physically be two but they are united like the two sides of compass at a centre. Since the beloved stays at home, she
is compared to the fixed foot of the compass. On the other hand the poets soul
is the other foot of the compass moving around. When one foot moves in a
circle, obviously the other foot also moves in a point. They can not leave any
one. In the same way they are now two feet of the compass who have met together
at the centre of love. As the poet says-
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And
makes me end where I begunne.
This poem is such a poem in which Donne shows how much he loves his
wife. Grienson admired it as “tenderest of Donne’s love poems”. In spite of the
differences of opinion, there is no doubt that the love mentioned in the poem
is pure and the metaphysical conceits have made the consolation reasonable and
appealing.
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